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It's finally summer here in our hometown. It's a very welcome and refreshing change from the unexpected snow that continued into early May. My husband and I have finally come to appreciate our new backyard. The once empty and lonely plant life has finally bloomed and we are loving all the beautiful trees and flowers. For two years we lived in a condo, with a daughter and a dog. Seeing my family play and soak up the sunshine, in our backyard, has been one of this year's highlights.

One of my favorite late afternoon summer treats is a bowl of Fruit Chaat; Pakistani Fruit Salad. This Chaat combines the bounty of fresh fruit with sugar and spice. The flavors are incredible and will have anyone asking for more.

Fruit Chaat is considered street food and is sold at bazaars and marketplaces. If I close my eyes, I can still smell and hear the street vendors in Pakistan selling this sweet goodness by the bowl.

The great thing about making this dish, is that it is so versatile to anyone's tastes and preferences. If you don't like the fruit used in this recipe, you're more than welcome to try your own.

*Chaat Masala can be found at any local Indian/Pakistani store and even in large Asian markets. If not, you can order order online at Savory Spice Shop. I think they have a lovely version of this spice blend; seen here.

Mmmm...I love cayanne pepper on fruit...people think I'm crazy for it! I always thought it was a Central/South American thing, because that is how it's sold there...never knew it was an Asian thing, too!!

I hope that you are monitoring this often, because I have a question about the masala.

Would yo say that regular chaat masala is better than the one that's made specifically for fruit chaat? I just made fruit chaat last night, and I used the Shan Fruit Chaat Masala, and it was simply not good. I was really disappointed (I thought that I would give it a try, at least once).

Going to host an iftar party on Saturday, and want to serve fruit chaat.